Saturday, April 1, 2017

The Spider Accomplice - Los Angeles: The Abduction

Produced by Steve Kravac, The Spider Accomplice’s
second album in their Los Angeles Trilogy, Los Angeles: The Abduction is a
rollicking and imaginative ride through the seedy and occasionally
phantasmagorical landscape of Los Angeles, circa 2016. The EP’s six songs are
laced with some elements of fantasy, but there’s also a gritty earthiness about
the alternative rock trappings defining these tracks. The trio is led by
vocalist and rhythm guitarist VK Lynne and joined by Justin Lee Dixon on drums
and Arno Nurmistro on guitar and backing vocals. The trio is combustible, but
melodically gifted despite the hard rock trappings surrounding these songs. This
is passionate music that reaches far beyond the glittery trappings of the Los
Angeles scene and should find widespread approval from rock fans across the
globe thanks to its burning heart, invention, and full throated attitude.

The burning heart and invention are obvious in the
opener “Bromlaid”. It begins with an intricate sounding weave of instruments
that are building towards a launch into the stratosphere. When the first peak
comes, the band turns on Dixon’s mighty snare hit and then the show becomes VK
Lynne’s alone. Her voice explores an assortment of tones, textures, and
phrasing while tailoring it perfectly to the other musicians. “Messy Vampire”
means business. The lyrics are rather dark, even violent, and Lynne’s voice
summons up the needed danger to put them over even further. The arrangement
quickly mounts in intensity and when the full on rock assault begins around the
one minute mark, it takes on an even more jagged edge. One of the EP’s most
creative pieces is “Behold the Day” with guitar work that has a much different
jagged style, but a surprising amount of melody. It shifts gears some during
the verses with an approach centered on filling the gaps around Dixon’s well
placed drum work.

The EP takes a swing towards the commercial on the
song “You Still Lie”, but commerciality should never equal cheapness. The
verses are strong, but the chorus is exceptional and reaches one of the
release’s highest zeniths thanks to its sweep and accessible power. Lynne’s
vocal performance is among her best on the recording and she pounds home the
lyric with enough conviction that it’s impossible to doubt her commitment to
making the song work. “Going Over” is another track that begins on a relatively
demure mode in comparison to the rockers but slowly builds into a full-blown
mini epic complete with light keyboards and expansive textures. It’s another
amazing performance from VK Lynne and her emotive range gives this song an even
greater grandeur than it otherwise possesses. The closer “Hollywood Hotel” is a
fitting conclusion for the album that has some strong storytelling aspects and
is populated by a rogue’s gallery of misfits, wounded souls, and some delicious
dark humor. The Spider Accomplice has scored big with this release and it is a
memorable second half to the band’s planned trilogy. Bring on the conclusion.

About Me

Student at University of Oregon. Persuing a degree in Jornalism and Marketing. Writing Intern for Indie Music Media LLC based out of Seattle, WA. I enjoy writing music reviews that are informative, honest and positive.